Baoding is a prefecture-level city located in the central region of Hebei Province, China. It is situated approximately 150 kilometres southwest of Beijing. The city's jurisdiction includes the northern area of Zhuozhou City, which has integrated into the Beijing metropolitan area.
The city maintains a significant population, historically recorded at over 11 million residents in the 2020 census, making it one of thirteen Chinese cities with a population exceeding 10 million. As of the end of 2024, the resident population is recorded at 9,046,200, with more than half of those residents living in urban areas.
The metropolitan area of Baoding consists of four largely conurbated urban districts: Lianchi, Jingxiu, Qingyuan, and Mancheng. These districts represent a major population center within the province, historically accounting for about one-sixth of the total population of Hebei Province.